Biophilia Guardian cares for the health of cats and dogs (2)
If cats have been living indoors, a common way to get parasites is by eating raw meat
In addition, the average lifespan of gray wolves in the wild is only 5 to 6 years, while with good diet and care, they can live for 15 to 20 years in captivity. Wild cats (Felis silvestris) also live an average of 8 years in the wild, while long-lived domestic cats can live up to 20 years.
It can be seen that natural ≠ better. In order for cats and dogs to live healthier, longer, and happier lives, it is best not to feed raw meat.
Feeding only raw meat, there are many problems
Balanced and comprehensive nutrition is the key to maintaining the health of any animal. However, many raw meat diets, as well as some other homemade foods, have serious nutritional imbalances.
If the liver is used as the staple food, it is easy to cause excessive intake of vitamin A; if there is too much phosphorus in the food, it may lead to hyperparathyroidism; if the content of important nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D is too low, it is easy to lead to insufficient bone formation , which is particularly negative for developing cats and dogs. Unlike dogs, cats need to obtain these important nutrients from food because they cannot synthesize enough taurine, arginine and niacin on their own.
The dog suffered from severe osteopenia (osteopenia), which left him with pain and unable to walk because of the nutritionally inadequate homemade food.
After the diagnosis, it was replaced with a dog food with a balanced proportion of nutrition, and the bone formation was improved.
In the impression of many people, pets are often associated with the image of eating bones. However, veterinarians do not recommend feeding bones to cats and dogs. There are significant risks in feeding bones, for example, bones that are too hard can easily lead to broken teeth, and broken bones can easily scratch the esophagus, leading to intestinal perforation, and more likely to get stuck directly in the gastrointestinal tract, which can only be removed surgically. Feeding bones may not only cause expensive medical bills, but also pose a danger to the lives of cats and dogs, which is very worthless.
If you feed raw meat and bones in the hope that cats and dogs will have good teeth, you can consider a safer method.
For example, brushing your teeth, feeding a dental stick, or going to a veterinary hospital for a cleaning (requires anesthesia)
Insist on feeding raw meat or homemade food,
What should be paid attention to?
Although the proponents of raw meat believe that feeding raw meat has many benefits, such as healthier teeth and skin, more beautiful hair, stronger immune system, and even better smell of feces... However, these "advantages" Most of them are just anecdotes, and there is not enough research evidence to support them.
After learning about the relevant risks, if you still insist on feeding raw meat or homemade food, pet owners are advised to pay more attention and consider the following measures to minimize possible risks and hazards.
In terms of hygiene:
1. In order to reduce the reproduction of harmful bacteria, the raw meat must be kept frozen during storage. When defrosting, the meat should be thawed in the refrigerator, not directly at room temperature. If there are any leftovers after eating, they should be discarded as soon as possible.
2. Wash your hands after touching raw meat, and thoroughly clean kitchen utensils such as cooktops and chopping boards.
3. The rice bowls and water bowls of cats and dogs should also be disinfected frequently.
4. Don't kiss cats and dogs, especially after they have eaten raw meat; and don't let them lick you.
It should be emphasized that freezing does not kill bacteria, and cats and dogs still defecate and use their tongues to groom themselves, so even with all precautions, it is still impossible to completely prevent harmful bacteria from being spread to the surrounding environment.
In terms of nutrition:
1. It is difficult to ensure a comprehensive and balanced nutrition by purely feeding raw meat and bones.
2. As for homemade food, although high temperature heating can kill bacteria and improve food safety, because many pet recipes on the Internet are mixed, if you insist on feeding homemade food, please communicate with a licensed veterinary nutritionist. And physical condition and other characteristics, formulate a suitable diet.
3. In addition, cats and dogs cannot get the vitamins and minerals their bodies need by eating enough fruits and vegetables, so nutritional supplements that provide additional vitamins and minerals are indispensable in homemade food. It is also important to follow the veterinarian's recipes when preparing the diet, as the slightest deviation can lead to a nutritionally incomplete final meal.
Finally, I hope that when you choose to buy any cat and dog food, you must keep your eyes open and choose products from reliable companies. It is recommended to have a Biophilia Guardian at home to monitor the health of cats and dogs at any time!
I wish you all the cats and dogs to eat healthy and happy! Good appetite every day!